"I don't stand in the way of others from doing what they want, and in return, I don't want anyone standing in mine. But I also don't expect to have someone come to my rescue when I screw the pooch. I just don't see what doesn't seem fair about that."
I believe that would be the operating principle in Mogadishu, but you don't live there. The public lands are held in trust for ALL Americans, not just the ones who would defile them any way that want, because they are "theirs". You've obviously never owned property with someone else, or you would know that you have to make collective decisions for both your benefits.
If you've lived in an apartment, you don't simply bang on the walls, because it is "yours".
This was all laid out a long, long time ago in "The Tragedy of the Commons", and explains why your approach inevitably leads to the destruction of the resource. Every time.
